Gu Fangchen chuckled inwardly.
To be honest, that kick had hurt a little.
If not for his peak Sixth Grade physique, that one kick could have snapped the leg of a Lower Third Grade cultivator.
For him, though, it was only enough to cause some bruising and swelling.
After all, Xiao Yinghao's anger from moments ago hadn't yet dissipated, and she clearly needed somewhere to vent.
But for someone at Third Grade martial strength, her restraint was extraordinary, he could almost call that kick gentle.
Gu Fangchen's tactic was simple, capture by letting go.
First, he had to make Xiao Yinghao give up on the idea of making him her official consort.
To do that, he had to play the part of an unruly dandy to the extreme, instantly lowering her favor toward him.
Xiao Yinghao was proud. She would never allow a man she disliked to be tied to her by marriage, even in name only.
But secondly, Gu Fangchen didn't want her to keep that impression. He couldn't afford to let it fester and waste the goodwill he had earned.
Judging from her earlier behavior, if her favor could be quantified, Gu Fangchen estimated he now sat somewhere between forty and fifty points.
For the Grand Princess, that was already remarkably high.
Even her younger brother and imperial mother likely scored around seventy at most.
As for others, far less.
So, after reducing her favor to achieve his goal, he needed to immediately pull it back up again.
According to what he knew, Xiao Yinghao, though outwardly cold and iron-blooded, a true War Goddess who almost never smiled, had a surprisingly soft spot.
She liked children.
Throughout the realm, the White Dragon Army maintained orphan shelters, taking in the homeless and destitute. Those with talent were trained and later absorbed into the army.
Those without martial aptitude were taught crafts and trades, and when they turned fifteen, were released to make their way in the world.
Many of these grown youths, scattered across Great Wei, became hidden eyes and ears for Xiao Yinghao, feeding her intelligence from every corner of society.
But each year, Xiao Yinghao would take time to visit a shelter incognito, disguised as an ordinary White Dragon soldier, and spend time with the toddlers there.
Perhaps growing up in the cold, loveless atmosphere of the royal family had left her yearning for that untainted innocence, companionship without scheming or pretense.
Her younger brother, the Sixth Prince Xiao Yi, was proof enough. In the later struggle for the throne, he was merely confined rather than executed. It showed that Xiao Yinghao's tolerance for children was unusually high.
Especially for someone like Xiao Yi, spoiled, foolish, and obsessed with playing hero.
In a sense, Gu Fangchen was now stepping into Xiao Yi's territory.
The moment Xiao Yinghao had misunderstood his earlier actions, Gu Fangchen hadn't withdrawn. Instead, he had turned the situation around, shifting from bold flirtation to a secret, childlike gesture, sneaking her a gift.
Passing a secret note in the middle of a formal banquet, such behavior was almost childish.
In doing so, he had indirectly acknowledged his identity.
After all, if he hadn't been at the Autumn Peace Road battlefield, this Fire Essence Ore core could never have ended up in his hands.
He had also repaired the array formation within the ore.
Once placed within a suitable mine, it could power a new protective formation again.
At that realization, Xiao Yinghao understood that she had misjudged him.
Though Gu Fangchen had indeed been the one who caused all this trouble, the initial fault had been her own miscalculation, her strategic error had left the army without command, giving the Qingman the chance to strike.
The blame, in truth, fell on her shoulders as the commander of the region.
Including the destruction of the mine's protective formation.
And now, after Gu Fangchen had turned the tide of battle, the loss of that formation was perhaps the one issue that could still stain her record.
Gu Fangchen, clearly aware of this, was now quietly returning the array core, helping her clear that potential accusation while compensating for his own role in the matter.
But his good intentions had been completely misunderstood because of his bold behavior.
Which was why Xiao Yinghao now found the whole thing both amusing and infuriating.
Amusing because his actions were so childish, like a schoolboy sneaking notes during class.
Only a child would dare pull such a stunt, yet here was Gu Fangchen, doing it during an imperial banquet. It was absurdly immature.
And she couldn't even believe it was intentional, for the risk was far too high. With her reputation, no one would dare tease her like that.
If she hadn't held herself back, the floor might already be soaked in blood.
And besides, he hadn't truly done anything improper.
He had stopped precisely at the edge of propriety, showing perfect restraint, his foot resting at the hem of her dress, nothing more.
Her irritation came from herself, from realizing that her own prejudice against him had made her misread everything.
She had believed his playboy façade was all an act, yet she had still fallen for it, still let it rattle her.
Gu Fangchen looked at her pitifully and silently mouthed, "It was for you. If you don't want it, give it back. Why kick me?"
Then he drew his foot back, a picture of wounded innocence, good intentions misunderstood.
In that instant, Xiao Yinghao suddenly remembered that Gu Fangchen was only nineteen, still not of age, just three years older than her younger brother.
Compared to her, he really was still just a boy.
Her heart softened. Forget it. She had missed the moment; there would be others.
Gu Fangchen saw the change in her expression and knew instantly that her favorability had recovered.
Up above, the Yong'an Emperor looked over the report that had been presented and immediately realized that his daughter was merely using it to put pressure on Gu Yuye.
He chuckled and said, "Ah, so that's how it is... Gu Aiqing, do you admit your fault?"
Gu Yuye immediately knelt and said solemnly, "This minister admits guilt."
Inside, however, he wasn't worried. If the Emperor were truly angry, his tone would be far harsher.
Clearly, the intercepted report related to his actions, but not enough to condemn him.
Sure enough, the Emperor said mildly, "Good. Since you admit it, we'll leave it at that. After the banquet, go and receive your punishment yourself."
Some guests exhaled in relief, others whispered, curious about what exactly the message had contained.
Gu Yuye thanked the Emperor but did not rise. Instead, he continued, "Your Majesty, my loyalty is as clear as heaven and earth."
"There is something this minister must say."
"As for the matter of the heir, I accept the result of the wager. Whether he is my son or not, the title of Northern Garrison Prince exists for the sake of the realm. I will abide by Your Majesty's will."
He knew perfectly well that Gu Fangchen's public declarations with Gu Yuandao had been calculated to attack him, to ruin his reputation further.
So he had to strike first.
The wager's outcome was fixed, but that didn't mean Gu Fangchen could keep his position uncontested.
There was still one obstacle he could raise.
Gu Yuye said coldly, "But this person's identity remains uncertain. That coachman's confession was clear, the Demon Sect switched the swaddled infants of Yuandao and this man."
"Even if he was too young to know then, three years ago he met that coachman again. Who's to say he wasn't already colluding with the Demon Sect?"
"If we fail to remove that suspicion, and he becomes heir, might that not be the Demon Sect's trap?"
"What's more, his actions today are violent and ruthless. My son, grievously injured by the Demon Sect, was left untreated by him the entire way back, behavior utterly in line with the Demon Sect's cruelty!"
"I beg Your Majesty to see clearly!"
Indeed, besides not having the Northern Garrison bloodline, Gu Fangchen also carried the stigma of suspected collusion with the Demon Sect.
But now, the key to breaking that accusation had already been handed to him by Gu Yuandao himself.
Gu Fangchen rose, walked up beside Gu Yuye, and said with a cold smile, "Gu Yuye, if you don't want others to know, don't do it yourself. Consider this my gift, to you and your precious son."
He turned toward the Emperor and bowed.
"Your Majesty, I have a witness who can prove my innocence, and explain why I acted as I did toward Gu Yuandao."
The Emperor's interest was piqued.
"Oh? Who?"
Gu Fangchen flipped his hand and produced a scroll.
It was the treasure the Confucian Sage had once given to Gu Yuandao:
The Mountain and River Diagram.